Miniature sectional building construction



Sept. 17, 1946. H Y 2,407,927

. MINIATURE SECTIONAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed May 5, 1945 INVEHTOR EJ-IAYDEN EH13 4 Fl; G5 m/fau flf l I ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 17, 1946 UNITED MINIATURE SECTIONAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Edward Hayden, Windsor, Ontario, Canada Application May 5, 1945, Serial No. 592,100

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to construction models or toys comprising blocks, slabs and similar elements adapted to be detachably interlocked to form the component parts of a miniature house or other structure.

In the present instance the invention will be described in connection with the fabrication of component parts of a sectional house adapted to serve as a construction model for architects or builders or as a toy but it will be understood that this is merely for purposes of illustration and that the principles of the invention may be embodied in the design of construction elements adapted to be used in the fabrication of various other miniature sectional structures.

The main feature of the invention consists in the provision of building elements provided with slots designed to permit said elements to be directly interlocked with each other by sliding a side wall of the slotted portion of one element into interlocking engagement with an interfitting side wall of the similarly slotted portion of another of said elements. In the preferred embodiment of the invention a T-shaped slot or groove is formed in one side or in each of a plurality of sides of each element and these grooved or slotted portions of the elements are suitably proportioned 50 that two of said elements may be directly interlocked with each other by sliding the L-shaped side wall of one of the T-grooves of one element into the T-shaped slot or groove of a companion element. This construction enables the elements to be releasably interlocked by direct interfitting engagement with each other and eliminates the necessity of providing additional connecting members for securing the elements together in assembled relation in the fabrication of toy houses or other structures.

Proceeding now to a more detailed description of this invention reference will be had to the accompanying drawing, in which 7 Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing building elements designed and interlocked in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fi 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a sill element adapted to be used in conjunction with my improved building elements.

5 is a side elevation of one of the building elements shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the element shown in Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows the manner in which building elements designed in accordance with my invention may be directly interlocked with each other to provide the windows and other component parts of a miniature house or building adapted to serve as a builders or architects model or as a toy. In this View a pair of built-up window units desig nated 5 and 6 are shown with their outer sides interlocked with L-shaped corner elements i and 8 and their inner sides interlocked with a rec tangular element 9.

The corner elements I and 8 comprise vertically extending L-shaped blocks representing angularly related legs l8 and H, the face Illa of leg it being provided witha full length T-shaped groove Hi1) and the face Ha of the leg H being provided with a full length T-shaped groove Mb. The intermediate element 9 comprises an elongated rectangular block or slab provided with full length T-shaped grooves do in its opposite side faces I? and i3. The upper and lower end faces of element 9 are also provided with T-shaped grooves i5 extending between the faces l2 and i3 and intersecting the verticalgrooves 9a.

The corner elements i and 8 are shown arranged with their grooves Hlb opposed to but spaced from the grooves 9a. of the intermediate element 9.

The top, bottom and side frame members of each window unit 5 and 6 are formed of separate blocks respectively indicated at l6, l1, l8 and t9. Each of these blocks is formed with T-shaped grooves 20 in its opposite side faces 2| and with T-shaped grooves 22 in its opposite end faces 23, the grooves 22 extending between the faces 2| and intersecting the grooves 23. The top and bottom blocks 16 and H of each window unit are interlocked with one of the corner elements 1 or 8 and with the intermediate element 9 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it being noted that each block has the L-shaped wall of one of its end T- grooves 22 fitted in the T- shaped slot Nb of the adjacent corner element and also has one L- shaped wall of its remaining end T-groove 22 fitted in one of the T-shaped slots 9a of the intermediate element 9. The outer side block I8 of each window unit is arranged vertically with the L-shaped wall of its outer T-groove 2t) fitted in the T-groove lb of the adjacent corner member. The inner side block It of each window unit is also arranged vertically with one L-shaped side wall of its inner T-groove fitted in the adjacent T-shaped slot 9a of the intermediate element 9. The central opening defined by the framing blocks of each window unit is closed by a transparent panel 26 having its side edges fitted in the inwardly facing T-grooves 20 of the blocks I8 and I9 and its upper edge fitted in the downwardly facing T-groove 20 of the upper block [6. The lower edges of the transparent panel rest on a sill member 28 which is interlocked with the blocks l1, l8 and Hi. This sill member is shown provided with end projections 29 which enter the inwardly facing T-shaped slots 20 of the blocks l8 and I9. The sill member is also provided with a depending projection 39 which is received in the upwardly facing T-groove 2 of the lower block IT and with projections 3| which overlie the outer side faces of the blocks l8 and E9.

The remaining structure of the miniature building shown in the present drawing may be completed in various Ways by interlocking with the blocks shown-in Fig. 1 various other blocks provided with T-shaped grooves permitting them to be directly interlocked in accordance with the principle of my invention. As previously stated the essential feature is the construction of the blocks with T-shaped grooves so that an L- shaped side wall of the T-groove of one block may be inserted in the T-groove of another block to secure the blocks together by direct inter-fitting and interlocking engagement with each other.

The building elements described herein may have brick or stone simulating surfaces printed or otherwise applied to opposite sides thereof. In this case the courses of brick or stone simulating areas at one side of each element would extend in a direction at right angles to the direction of the courses of brick or stone simulating areas on the opposite side so that said element may be used eithed horizontally or vertically.

I claim:

1. A miniature sectional buildin structure adapted to serve as a toy or builders model, said structure comprising a plurality of detachably interlocked building elements, each element being I provided with a T-shaped groove open at both ends and having one of the L-shaped defining walls of said groove slidably fitted within the T- shaped groove of an adjoining element, each part of the said L-shaped portion being in direct engagement with a Wall portion of the T-shaped groove.

2. A miniature serve as a toy or builders model, said structure comprising a plurality of relatively long and narrow blocks detachably interlock d with each other, certain of said blocks being each provided With full length T-shaped slots extending along opposite sides thereof and with additional T- shaped slots extending across the end faces thereof and intersecting the first mentioned slots, each of said grooved blocks having L -shaped side walls of different side and end grooves thereof slidably fitted within T-shaped grooves of adjoining blocks, each part of the said L-shaped portion being in direct engagement with a wall portion 7 building structure adapted to 

